The Burt Bacharach Songbook is an excellent single-disc collection of 17 hits
Bacharach penned for other artists. While it isn't as sublime as the British-only The Look of Love -- often, the familiar versions are not present, like when
Andy Williams' version of "Close to You" is substituted for
the Carpenters' hit -- most of the disc is absolutely excellent, featuring such classics as
Jackie DeShannon's "What the World Needs Now Is Love,"
Dusty Springfield's "I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself,"
Sandie Shaw's "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me," and
Gene Pitney's "Only Love Can Break a Heart." The disc also suffers from not having any songs by
Dionne Warwick, arguably the foremost interpreter of
Bacharach-David's work, but for its midline price it's an excellent bargain, especially considering there is no comprable collection currently available on the American market.